But was it not you who used to tell me that the more you knew, the better? That knowledge was the sharpest… — Steve Perry

He understood the phenomenon, of how almost dying made you appreciate what life had to offer. And it was a potent drug, that feeling. Battle was not glorious. But surviving it? That was.

“The rules are different for rich men,” he said. “Always have been.”

Death came for all, and it was never a matter of “if,” only “when.”